Thunder at Jazz
Gordon Hayward has put together the best string of 20-point outings by a Utah player since Karl Malone in 2001 and he looks for another one when the Jazz host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. Hayward has recorded 10 straight 20-point performances and is aiming to help Utah record its ninth victory in the past 11 games.
Hayward is averaging 26.7 points during his torrid stretch and the 26-year-old small forward is enjoying an All-Star caliber season. The Jazz will have their hands full trying to limit Oklahoma City star point guard Russell Westbrook, especially being without point guard George Hill (sprained left big toe) for the sixth straight game. Westbrook had just 20 points, six rebounds and six assists in Tuesday's 114-95 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers but sat out the entire fourth quarter with the Thunder so far behind. Westbrook averaged 21 points, eight rebounds and 7.5 assists in four games against Utah last season without recording a single triple-double.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN Oklahoma, ROOT (Utah)
ABOUT THE THUNDER (15-10): Shooting guard Victor Oladipo (sprained right wrist) likely will miss his second straight game, stemming from an injury he suffered during a hard fall in Sunday's game against the Boston Celtics. The plan is for Oladipo to be re-evaluated Wednesday in Salt Lake City before a decision is made and coach Billy Donovan said before Tuesday's loss that Oladipo isn't easy to replace. "I don't necessarily think that you, in particular, take a player like Victor and just replace him with another player," Donovan told reporters. "It's always about the team stepping up."
ABOUT THE JAZZ (15-10): Power forward Derrick Favors (left knee) is slated to return from a 13-game absence but his minutes will be limited. Favors, who originally injured the knee in the preseason, hasn't played in exactly one month and has seen action in just 11 games. "I want to play; I'm a competitor," Favors told reporters. "At the same time, I want to be smart. I don't want to try and do too much, too soon. I want to get back into a rhythm and get into shape."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Thunder went 4-0 against the Jazz last season with two of the victories coming by 22 points.
2. Oklahoma backup C Enes Kanter — a former Utah player booed vociferously in his returns to Salt Lake City — averaged 10.3 points and six rebounds against the Jazz last season.
3. Utah C Rudy Gobert is averaging 18.3 points, 14.8 rebounds and four blocked shots while recording four consecutive double-doubles.